Long term tool use


writeright1

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When playing for long time, is it better to save the best quality tool and use up and discard the lower quality ones and just maintain the good one, keep them all in good shape, or forge crude versions?  Hatchets, knives, guns, saws and can openers, but I'm not sure what the best strategy for long term use of these items. 

With clothing, do you break down extra clothes into cloth for long term storage or do you keep a spare set stashed somewhere just in case?

For those who've played a really long time, could you share with us what your core survival gear is?

 

And something I've just been wondering, can you start a fire with a flare?  I've tried with an already lit flare and it didn't seem to be an option.

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19 hours ago, writeright1 said:

And something I've just been wondering, can you start a fire with a flare?  I've tried with an already lit flare and it didn't seem to be an option.

A bug, maybe? I've started fires with Lit Flares, Lit Torches, Lit Matches, and Branded Sticks. On my 50 Day Voyager Sandbox Save, I have Level 3 Fire-starting skill and can successfully "transport" my fire by using Branded Sticks and, essentially, "bunny-hopping" my fire from one place to another.

It has to still be actively lit and have at least 1-10% of burn left to work (not clear on the exact details of the life remaining). 

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4 hours ago, Deathdealers747 said:

A bug, maybe? I've started fires with Lit Flares, Lit Torches, Lit Matches, and Branded Sticks. On my 50 Day Voyager Sandbox Save, I have Level 3 Fire-starting skill and can successfully "transport" my fire by using Branded Sticks and, essentially, "bunny-hopping" my fire from one place to another.

It has to still be actively lit and have at least 1-10% of burn left to work (not clear on the exact details of the life remaining). 

So long as it's not windy, right? I've had those damn brands go out in seconds!

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On 2/14/2017 at 4:57 AM, writeright1 said:

When playing for long time, is it better to save the best quality tool and use up and discard the lower quality ones and just maintain the good one, keep them all in good shape, or forge crude versions?  Hatchets, knives, guns, saws and can openers, but I'm not sure what the best strategy for long term use of these items. 

With clothing, do you break down extra clothes into cloth for long term storage or do you keep a spare set stashed somewhere just in case?

For those who've played a really long time, could you share with us what your core survival gear is?

 

And something I've just been wondering, can you start a fire with a flare?  I've tried with an already lit flare and it didn't seem to be an option.

As far as I know, tool condition doesn't make any difference to its effectiveness. That means it also doesn't matter whether you keep them in good condition or not. You can use them up and then harvest them, as long as you keep at least one in working order while you still have whetstones. If you have several hatchets, for example, it's sometimes useful to plant them around the map in different locations that you frequent, so that when you go back there you'll have one handy - that way you don't have to carry one with you. The forged knives and hatchets are less effective than the 'looted' ones, however, so they aren't worth bothering with until you have used up all the proper ones.

Use can openers if you have them, rather than other tools. They last for ages, so spare ones can generally be broken down for scrap metal if you need it. Guns should be kept in decent nick, otherwise they can jam; again, placing them around the map in useful hunting locations will mean you can avoid carrying them about all the time (unless you prefer to have one for shooting/scaring wolves that are in your way, but that isn't really necessary in my opinion).

I generally keep clothing intact unless and until I actually need the cloth. Just because it doesn't make a difference when you break it down, and you never know when you might want a replacement or alternative bit of clothing, and there's usually plenty of other cloth sources anyway.

As for core survival gear: warm clothes is most of it. You can get by with carrying just a knife (for wolf fights), something to light a fire with (for avoiding wolf fights), maybe a flare or two for emergencies, plus some medical supplies. Everything else is extra, depending on what you want to do on a given day - even food and water doesn't need to be carried because you can make/find that as you go. I've got into the habit of carrying 5 bits of cloth in case I need a snow shelter in an emergency, because I rarely bother carrying a bed roll any more.

(You should be able to start a fire with a lit flare in hand: if you if you scroll through the list of ignition sources in the fire-starting menu, it should be one of them.)

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I leave my spare rifles with ammo in easy to get to locations because of the missing rifle after a wolf fight problem that sometimes shows up.  Losing a rifle hurts, losing the ammo in it can kill you. (I can't hit the broadside of a barn with a bow - seriously, I think that last deer I killed sacrificed itself because it felt sorry for me)  Spare axes go to places I'll come back to like the Camp Office in ML - I head there periodically to fish, hunt, etc. I leave spare pry bars at the transit points to regions I'll be exploring in the future and the occasional fishing hut I'm having good luck at (along with a stash of wood, enough to sit out a nightime blizzard).  As for clothes I'll only keep clothes I'll wear - so all mittens, work gloves and gauntles (love gauntlets), insulated boots, 1 or two vests, parkas (but only if I have no spare pea coats - love those), touks, and wool sweathers, wool socks, etc.  Everything else gets scrapped, unless I don't have a better spare.  Once I do, scrapped.  Once I start finding extra clothes, I start seeding places I go to regularly with them.  You know, so you don't have to walk around in just your socks.  Oh, and stash enough reeds to stay alive for a day or two in any base camp or transit point you'll be going back to along with water.  Trust me, this can save your life.  I don't usually carry water with me.  Though if I have to stop and make a fire I'll make water, drink some and dump it there.  Along with any spare wood.  Also, a lantern may seem like excess weight, but the thing throws off reliable heat (about 5 F in Stalker), reliable light and is wind resistant. If they're full they can burn for 3 or 4 hours, this can save your life if you're in the wrong place during a blizzard and need just a few more degrees.   Flares create heat (5 F in both Stalker and Interloper) as well but I find them annoying because I can't hear the pitter patter of little wolf feet over the hiss.  They burn for a much short time, about 1 hour game time, but again this can save your life.  I also keep the expended flares, because they make decent trail markers for caves and such. Wish I could remember who told me that.

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I generally keep a few spare tools in good condition in key locations, basically my main bases across the maps. And one set I keep on me to use when I need them. Any extra tools I use until they break. I will start to use crafted tools when I still have a few regular tools left. I then use the regular tools only in emergencies because they tend to perform tasks quicker.

With clothes it's pretty much the same thing. A full set in good condition in my main bases and every thing that's left over will be worn until the condition drops to a point I don't think it's worth it anymore. Then I scrap it for cloth. I keep some cloth and a sewingkit or fishing tackle in my main bases as well.

As for my survival gear: warm clothes, a knife, a way to make fire, some firestarting materials and a little fuel, a little water and some emergency food is the minimum I carry. But most of the time I tend to also carry at least a hatchet and prybar, 1-2L water and enough fuel to have a fire last at least 2 hours. And on longer trips I often carry a bedroll (regular one, not bearskin).

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A couple tips:

NEVER use the hatchet or knife unless you absolutely have to!!  Why?  Because whetstones (especially in interloper) are very limited! Once they are gone, you can't sharpen anything.

You can use the heavy hammer to break down furniture, crates, and to break the ice for ice fishing. All you need to repair the hammer is a fir log (limitless) and tool box.

Use the hacksaw to harvest meat and cut limbs. The hacksaw can be repaired with tool box and scrap metal which is very abundant!

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